NumberMan.EXE
NumberMan.EXE is the NetNavi counterpart of Higsby and a supporting protagonist in MegaMan Battle Network and MegaMan: NT Warrior. Both were originally members of the criminal organization known as WWW. History Game History ''Mega Man Battle Network'' NumberMan is the second boss of the first game, but he and Higsby turn over a new leaf due to MegaMan and Lan's influence. Afterwards, Higsby opens up a Battle Chip shop in ACDC Town and NumberMan is effectively the mascot. ''Mega Man Network Transmission'' NumberMan appears as a merchant in the outer area and will sell Lan and MegaMan.EXE sub chips, HP memories, battle chips, and PowerUps. His stock will increase over time, allowing more of a variety. ''Mega Man Battle Network 2 Higsby has gone on a 'quest' to find new and rare battle chips across the world. His NetNavi, NumberMan, can be found on the internet in certain areas, offering to sell MegaMan chips that he's collected. ''Mega Man Battle Network 4'' NumberMan appears in the City Battle Tournament as a random opponent in the Blue Moon version, and MegaMan can acquire the Number Soul. Before they battle, Lan and MegaMan must complete a sidequest in which they spread word about Higsby's shop in order to boost sales enough to keep the shop from being bought out. ''Mega Man Battle Network 5'' NumberMan joins Team Colonel in order to gain self-confidence. Higsby's Chip Shop is used as a base of operations in either version, and MegaMan can acquire the Number Soul again. Anime History ''MegaMan NT Warrior'' In the anime, Higsby and Numberman trap Maylu, Dex, Yai and their teacher in the class room and challenges Yai to a NetBattle for her rare battle chips. Glyde is forced into battle and is nearly defeated before MegaMan and Roll breaks through the barriers they've put up. He is defeated and Higsby promises to be good. Shortly before the N1 Grand Prix, Higsby causes a bug in NumberMan, leading to him going on a rampage. He needs to be calmed down by Lan and Co. to stop him. He fights during the N1 Grand Prix, but loses to WoodMan.EXE despite using rare chips and in part because of his heavy reliance on them. In the episode "The Virus Factory," NumberMan was disconnected from Higsby when Gospel (Grave in the dub) attacked NetCity with a never-ending swarm of viruses. He managed to fight off a sizable number of them on his own before Lan and the others managed to access him and save him when his energy finally ran out. In the episode "The NetMoble Grand Prix," NumberMan was a participant of the race. He was the first one taken out during the race by GutsMan.EXE near the start of the race. Near the end of the series, when the Grave Virus Beast was attacking NetCity, NumberMan stayed behind willingly and tried to challenge it. However, he quickly Jacked Out in fear before it could delete him, but complained to Higsby for not pulling him out sooner. ''MegaMan NT Warrior Axess'' NumberMan and Higsby appear again in Axess. In the episode "A Dangerous Bowling Game," Higsby takes Ms. Mari out on a cyber bowling date, which Lan and Maylu end up taging along due to a slight misunderstanding. Higsby remembers he's not good at sports, so NumberMan comes up with a plan to manipulate the system so that everytime Higsby bowls, he'll get a strike. This attracts the attention of BowlMan.EXE, who, under the influence of a Dark Chip, captures NumberMan, ties him up onto a giant pin, and nearly deletes him with a giant Bowling Boomer. MegaMan intervenes and saves NumberMan, and later deleted BowlMan with Cross Fusion when he entered the real world via a Dimensional Area. NumberMan and Higsby later apologize for cheating. Later on, NumberMan is part of Higsby's NetBattle Tournament, but loses to Shuko Kido and her NetNavi AquaMan.EXE (SpoutMan in the dub) due to the former's "bad luck." When SpoutMan starts crying at the power plant, flooding the system and threatening to destroy the plant, MegaMan and NumberMan attempt to stop him, but are unable to get past the veil of water with direct attacks. When NumberMan suggests they work together after learning SpoutMan's weak point, MegaMan gains Number Soul by fusing with NumberMan. Upon using Number Soul's trajectory calculation abilities and high process analysis features, the fused duo tactfully uses a Doom Dice from the side to blow away the water veil, and plug up SpoutMan's spout by making a giant leap with a retracted ElectroSword, ending his tantrum. NumberMan later appears at the end of the series as part of the group that Raika recruited to help Lan and MegaMan stop a Cross Fused LaserMan.EXE. He assisted in deleting the viruses that were guarding the giant Dimensional Area Generator, thus giving SearchMan.EXE a chance to shut it down for good. ''Rockman.EXE Beast'' In Beast, a Zoanoroid version of NumberMan appears and steals NumberMan's identity while tricking all of his friends into believing that he is the real one. However, when the real NumberMan appears, the group is confused, but then remember that the Zoanodroids have a Beast form and they attack both NumberMen. As the Zoanodroid evolves in a rage, the group now know who the real one is and chases the fraud away. In the next episode, Zoano NumberMan is deleted by Zoano GateMan.EXE. Zoano NumberMan is tinted light blue instead of green. Aside from that and the fact that one of them is Zoanoroid, they are the same in everything from moveset to attack power. Abilities *'Dice Bomb:' NumberMan throws a Dice Bomb into the player's area. If it is not destroyed after a set time, it explodes, hitting a 3x3 area around it, and inflicting damage to the player depending on the dice roll result multiplied by ten. In the first Mega Man Battle Network, it hits the whole field instead, one column at a time. Known as Doom Dice in the English anime. *'Number Ball:' NumberMan sends three balls down all three rows. Each ball displays how much damage it will do and how much damage is required to destroy it. *'Time Bomb:' NumberMan summons a Time Bomb. If it is not destroyed in time, it will hit the whole field, one column at a time. Used only in the first Mega Man Battle Network. *'Number Ruler:' NumberMan throws a Set Square onto the player's area. After a while, it will move off, turning at the player in a right angle. Used only in Battle Network 4. *'Number Trap:' Used only in Battle Network 5, NumberMan sets a trap on a random panel in the player's area. If it is set off, one of the following will happen: **A time bomb is set. **Area Steal will be used by NumberMan. **A 2x2 eraser block will fall on the player. A shadow of it will be seen before it lands. *'Number Tenbou:' In the anime, NumberMan can engage in close-range combat by using a tenbou (a stick used to record scores in Japanese Mahjong) as a sword. He also uses it for other purposes, like a baseball bat. Notes * NumberMan's head is similar to that of Dr. Psyche. * According to the Mega Man Battle Network Official Complete Works, NumberMan's inspiration came from bean sprouts, although Ishihara admits he is unsure why the team was convinced that bean sprouts made one smarter; the likely conclusion would be that bean sprouts represent in metaphor power in numbers, as bean sprouts come in bunches unlike other individual yet divisible vegetables. 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